Rotring Tintenkuli Stylographs

[Have Fun]

I missed this archive thanks for bringing it to our attention again

 

I was brought up on the black only Rapidos, later the plain green Faber Castell & the plain blue Mars Staedler

 

These early pens show how it should be done ... & how to get some fun back on the drawing board

 

Talk about missed opportunity .. these pens would have sold like hot cakes if they had been marketed in the UK in the 60's onward

 

Wonderful

 

Many thanks

[Deirdre]

Wow, these are amazing!

[Jeff L]

MacKinnon was a pioneer in stylographs, though they didn't quite get the tips right

Would you elaborate on what the issue was with MacKinnon tips?

 

 

[MYU]

MacKinnon was a pioneer in stylographs, though they didn't quite get the tips right

Would you elaborate on what the issue was with MacKinnon tips?

I wish I could but this was all I could find. Apparently Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) was one of the early users of MacKinnon and he reportedly ran into many problems with them, enough to drive him back to the fountain pen.

[Chris H]

Fascinating! Another world has been opened for exploration!!

 

Chris

[nigeldun]

Thanks so much for the info. Off of eBay, I bought a "Goldmichel" that has a cap and clip just like your Tintinkulis, althought it is otherwise a plain black pistonfiller with a stylographic tip. It still works very well. "Goldmichel" is a brand from Torino, Italy, founded by a German guy. Its it too much to hypothesize that it was a company licensed to build Tintininkulis in Italy?

 

Any idea what's a good ink to use in this pen?

 

Thanks!

[Rose Nibs]

nigeldun, thanks for reviving this thread. I have dozens of old stylographs that I rummage through occasionally, cursing the carbon-filled Indian inks that have destroyed most of the tips. I found that plain Parker Quink was as good an ink as any to use with them. I certainly wouldn't use Indian inks unless you like cleaning pens more than you like writing with them.

[Bo Bo Olson]

In that I'm writing a western taking place in 1881; some one stated that they were popular in 1870's and 80's.

I read that this week. Can't link it didn't think it that important to do more than book mark in the rusty gray matter.

 

My hero is using an Esterbrook nib or as nibs were called then, pen. And a dip pen was called a pen holder.

[frolland]

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2888/12539782015_3750be7588_o.jpg

Edited February 15, 2014 by frolland

[frolland]

Please see the demo pen I used above. I was struggling to post an image on FPN. Until I read the FAQ.

As a note: why has the picture have to be on line, would it not be easier to have it in your hard disk and just upload it.? I see, maybe it is a question of space!.

 

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5549/12540125845_7254d078d8.jpghttp://farm6.staticflickr.com/5512/12540492053_5d03c53fa1.jpg

 

This is the original tip. I have the pen in my possession for 45 years and writes very well.

Edited February 15, 2014 by frolland

[frolland]

Thanks so much for the info. Off of eBay, I bought a "Goldmichel" that has a cap and clip just like your Tintinkulis, althought it is otherwise a plain black pistonfiller with a stylographic tip. It still works very well. "Goldmichel" is a brand from Torino, Italy, founded by a German guy. Its it too much to hypothesize that it was a company licensed to build Tintininkulis in Italy?

 

Any idea what's a good ink to use in this pen?

 

Thanks!

I regularly write with my Tintenkuli. I use Sheaffer, Parker Quink or Watermans ink in my pen. Do not use Indian or Chinese drawing ink. It will clog the nib tube!.

FER

Edited February 16, 2014 by frolland

[bmareski]

I have what I believe to be this type of pen, and can't for the life of me figure out how to refill the ink! Do you have any information on this? Photos attached. Thanks.

Edited September 14, 2016 by bmareski

[Tweel]

From the top down in your first photo, parts 4, 5 and 6 comprise the piston mechanism (the pen is a piston filler). It's operated by turning the knob, normally concealed under the protective blind cap (part 7). Remove the blind cap, run the piston all the way to the bottom of its travel in the barrel, immerse the pen's point in ink to just above the lip of the section ( -- the "grip"). Run the piston back up to the top of its travel and it draws in a load of ink. Replace the blind cap, wipe the excess ink of the point, and there you go.

[alfredop]

This old topic merits to be maintained live, here there is my Tintenkuli that (in my opinion) someone has transformed in fountain pen:

 

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w253/gennyesposito/DSC_0415_zpsqpvcod4k.jpg

 

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w253/gennyesposito/DSC_0416_zpsysc8cw9u.jpg

 

In the red circle there is written simply "-Tiku-" and not the usual "Tintenkuli", any explanation for this?

 

Ciao

Alfredo

[diaskeith]

Hi there,

 

I am looking to purchase a Tintenkuli- remake in 1998 by Visconti the limited edition. Does any one have an idea where I would get one. Appreciate your reply- Keith

[KAC]

Here's an interesting coda to this thread:

 

https://www.timesofisrael.com/nazi-confiscated-pen-helps-toi-track-down-survivors-son-rewrite-family-history/

[sztainbok]

Hi there,

I have come across two Tintenkuli pens and while they are very similar, they have a few differences.

The one on top, has a black barrel with a 15 mm long ink view window. The nib tube is 3 mm long and the cap is inscribed "Made in Germany"

The pen shown below it, has a fully translucent barrel. The nib tube is 2 mm long and there is no inscription on the cap.

Both pens are inscribed Tintenkuli on the red ring.

I would appreciate commentary on the differences. I presume that the one on top is more suitable for drafting and intended for export, while the other one was more intended for writing and for the German market.

Thank you,

Victor

 

[sztainbok]

Here is another observation. I have several Tintenkuli and Koh-i-Noor stylographs. The nib units on the Koh-I-Noor pens have what seems to be a retainer guard that holds the weight in place, while the Tintenkulis do not. Also, the nib tube length is 4 mm while the length observed on the Tintenkulis above was 2 and 3 mm.

Here's a picture

 

[MYU]

The Tintenkuli stylos with ink window mostly shared the same barrel composition, which is some kind of resin. It is dyed black up to the point where the ink window starts. The tinted part is vulnerable to strong light and will fade over time. There were no demonstrators made by rOtring. A small company in Argentina had been commissioned to produce some Tintenkuli stylographs for a period of time. After the contract ended, some person or small group of people utilized the tooling afterward to fashion some custom made Tintenkuli stylos that had never been made before--all white, all aluminum. And all clear -- demonstrators. The telltale sign of differences is that the shapes aren't absolutely precise to the originals, so parts are not compatible. Also, the dome piece that anchors the clip onto the cap is more rounded, not accurately conical to the original.

 

After Kohinoor licensed the Rapidograph design from rOtring, they made it without the ink window and the barrel became completely plastic. It will not fade to clear, like the older material.

[Dickkooty2]

It has been eleven years since the last comment. And so I chime in at a separation from the original post to say what a fantastic job of compiling this history together with photographs! And a very well-written piece of scholarship!.

 

I do have a question. I am trying to obtain a Tintenkuli from the 50s with a regular non-stylographic nib. This type of pen was used in Argentina by my friends' mother ... no one was allowed to touch it. I bought a RotRing Renaissance made and sold in the early 80s before the complete take-over by Newell.

 

I am hoping that the use of Renaissance refers to the products offered in the 50s. I do have a lead on an actual 1950s model and hope that comes about.

 

I am sure that the FPN followers of this brand have changed in the past decade. Is there some out there in Penland who knows the answer!